Web 2.o site

http://nivrem-g.webnode.com/

Week #7 Final project

I went with webnode.com for my web 2.0 choice because I made a personal website and I did not want any advertising. I felt the webnode was rather easy compared to the html editor because it was all drag and drop. Having my pictures already sized made the web 2.0 that much easier. The html editor was a little more difficult having to make some adjustments to the size of my pictures and to the style sheet to keep all the pages the same size. The two templates were different so they do not look the same and I did not use some of the pictures I used for the first one. Some of the graphics and the content are the same.

My final project is really close to my storyboard I did not make an elaborate website so I stuck to a simple concept and stayed with it.

I really learned a lot in class, even though I work in IT I never ventured on the web side. This is definitely something that I will keep doing in my free time and maybe change my focus on what I want to do in my career in the future.

Why is writing for the web different from writing for print?

Web is very interactive, people want to see things that are of interest to them, and quickly, they do not want to read several paragraphs to get to where they want to go.  When reading print you get what the writer is trying to express to you not necessarily your own feelings or opinions.

• Keep it simple – and short (remember, word count should be 50% of print)
• Break large chunks of copy up into smaller, more concise sections
• Use bulleted or numbered points to simplify main ideas for easy reading
• Keep sentence structure and word choice simple
• Always put your most important information at the top
• Create various pages within your website for different topics, instead of having lots of information on one page.
• Use highlighting, or bold important keywords

Week #6 What is the purpose of storyboards? How will they help you with your final project?

Storyboards are a well-organized structured plan for your website.  It will help you build a website that is well planned and look professional.  As in any project, you may change your mind about something but having this organizational chart will keep your project structured and well designed.

Anyone with a computer can create a website is this always a good thing?

It is not always a good thing for one you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself but is going to be a professional site that will attract business Sometimes things are better off left to the professionals.

What is the difference between Usability and Accessibility with regards to web design

Usability: making a website as simple and fast to navigate as possible, and presenting information / products in an easily readable format

If you are selling something on the web prospective customers don't want to spend more time then they have to find what they are looking for, make it simple and easy.

Accessibility: making the content of a website available to everyone, including those with less-than-perfect eyesight.

If you come apon a site that you can't see well or is cluttered with unreadable content people won't stay any longer on your site as the next click of the mouse.

Week# 5 What are the advantages and drawbacks to hiring a professional web designer over doing one yourself?

Advantages:

            You can build your own web site for a lot less money

            Making your own has a more personnel feel to it

            You can make changes yourself save time from waiting for someone else

             

Disadvantages:

            Professional web designers are expensive

            Cheaper designers you get what you pay for cheap

            It takes a long time and a skill set you might not have

Will you be more critical?

Yes I will be definitely more critical of websites I visit. From someone’s point of view that does not design websites I think people look for aspects that are not related to good design. Examples being alignment, a lot of sites have things scattered all over the pages but they might like the colors or pictures that were used. Slow loading pages and maybe too much clutter might discourage the regular surfer but for those who design sites will see much deeper into all the aspects of the site.

                Each week is a learning experience in this class. I work in IT but have never did any designing of web pages. There are some aspects that an amature could do and others that take a very education graphic design person.

Evaluate 2 websites

1. URL http://singerequipment.com/index.asp

            The first site I chose was the company I work for Singer Equipment Company.

On the home page is the Singer logo in our 5-color scheme.  The six main buttons across the top of the page match our color scheme, when clicking on a button it keeps you on the same page and displays information pertinent to the button.
          When clicking on the catalog links you navigate to the category of the link, which brings you to specific items in that category.  Alt labels for graphics are marked if pictures are turned off.  When putting the cursor on the back arrow it tells you where you are going back to so you know exactly where you are in the site. 

            There is a lot of information on the home page and some other pages so you must scroll down to see the rest of the page, which is one, negative.  Overall, the site has a professional designed for easy reading and navigatio

2. URL http://www.cdw.com

            The second site I chose was CDW they are a vendor of computer hardware and software that we use at my work place.  Navigation buttons are easy to understand and clearly labeled to let you know where you are in the site.  They also are not big and bulky.  Text to background is a good contrast for very readable text.

            Pages download quickly with good use of graphic elements.  They keep to two main colors red and orange, but sprinkle in another color here and there on other, pages.  They use repetitive elements on all pages.  One down fall are you had to scroll down to see all the information on the page

            This site has many of the elements that make up a good website.  Navigation and clarity of text to background are two of the main elements that make this site good.  In addition, the color scheme is another good element.

Week #4 Quiz from page154

Graphic one:

• The first one you will have to scroll down to see the rest of the page, the whole page does not fit on the screen.
• Large buttons take up more space then necessary.
• The one graphic does not display so no alt labels to tell you what it should be.
• Some people like black but a more colorful background would be better and everything is in the center of the page.

Graphic two:

• The second one the whole page displays on the screen no scrolling to see the rest of the page.
• There are matching graphic and text buttons.
• I have better idea where I am going when I click on the buttons.
• The color scheme is better and it has a nice left alignment

Week #4 Quiz from page154

Graphic one:

• The first one you will have to scroll down to see the rest of the page, the whole page does not fit on the screen.
• Large buttons take up more space then necessary.
• The one graphic does not display so no alt labels to tell you what it should be.
• Some people like black but a more colorful background would be better and everything is in the center of the page.

Graphic two:

• The second one the whole page displays on the screen no scrolling to see the rest of the page.
• There are matching graphic and text buttons.
• I have better idea where I am going when I click on the buttons.
• The color scheme is better and it has a nice left alignment

Graphic one:

• The first one you will have to scroll down to see the rest of the page, the whole page does not fit on the screen.
• Large buttons take up more space then necessary.
• The one graphic does not display so no alt labels to tell you what it should be.
• Some people like black but a more colorful background would be better and everything is in the center of the page.

Graphic two:

• The second one the whole page displays on the screen no scrolling to see the rest of the page.
• There are matching graphic and text buttons.
• I have better idea where I am going when I click on the buttons.
• The color scheme is better and it has a nice left alignment

Additional comments

As we go on each week, I learn something new and understand why graphic design, particularly for the web, is such an intriguing and fascinating world.  I am no artist what so ever, but this makes me feel I can do something I never thought I could do.

Poll questions

My favorite was: "Should medical marijuana be legalized in all states"
Don't judge me I was born in the 60's.

Readability vs Legibility and Summarizing typography

Readability vs Legibilty

How easy it is to read a lot of text, extended text, and pages and pages of text refers to readability.

Being able to recognize short bursts of text, such as headlines, buttons, and signs easily is the meaning of legibility.

The difference is readability is being able to easily read lots of text and legibility is being able to recognize short references of text.

Summarize typography

Typography is a set of rules for applying text in all forms such as, headlines, or banners, to whole paragraphs of text for the web.  Following these guidelines can help you make your web site and web pages stand out.  There is some room for flexibility for you to use your creativity to make it your own style.  Remember to stick with the guidelines because something simple as a text font will display differently in different browsers.  Stick to the basic rules but be creative to put your own imagination to your web site.